


Too Early for Dawn

by richardisroger91



Category: Hellenistic Religion & Lore, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-20 00:59:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17612435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/richardisroger91/pseuds/richardisroger91
Summary: Even Dawn has a hard time getting her mornings started





	Too Early for Dawn

< “Good morning, sunshine. It’s time to get this day started.”  
The golden haired woman groaned softly and threw an arm over her eyes. She threw a pillow at the man who had awoken her.  
“Go away, Apollo. It’s far too early to be awake.”  
“Early? Aurora, are you feeling well? I mean, this is kind of what we do. You bring forth the new day, and I come right after with the big ball of fire. Move your bones, girl.” Apollo shook her roughly.  
She moaned and sat up on her couch, tossing the sheet to the floor. A satyr hurried across the room to pick it up and folded it. Another handed her a hand towel and stood before her with a basin. Aurora dipped the cloth and wiped her face. Standing, she stretched forth her arms and yawned.  
Apollo averted his face.  
“Sweetheart, you’re naked.”  
“Oh, I’m sorry. Is the god of the sun, who’s undone more girdles than Zeus himself, embarrassed by a little nudity?” Aurora snarked at him.  
“No, it’s just, you know, you’re my friend.”  
“Friend, yeah, sure. Friends don’t wake each other so horribly early. It’s like 4 in the morning. Dawn doesn’t start for another hour.” She waved her hand over herself.  
There was a golden sparkle, and she stood wearing a chiton and cloak of pale gold, pinks, reds, and peach.  
“Alright, I’m awake and dressed. Shall we move on?” Apollo clasped her on the shoulder, grinning, and together they strode from the pavilion.  
The stables were an oasis of noise as grooms scrambled around leading horses to two different chariots. One was pure gold. The other was carved white ivory. Both depicted scenes of the sun: One engraved with the noonday sun overlooking busy life scenes, and the other was inscribed with the dawning sun overlooking the tranquil scenes of the early hours.  
“Holy Tartarus, why is it so loud in here?” Aurora held a palm up to her head. “Why must horses be so freakin’ loud?”  
Apollo flicked his hand and silence descended over everything, though nothing stopped hurrying about with its work. A new man came striding in just as Apollo’s spell fell.  
“Aurora having another hard morning?” he chuckled in a deep, rich baritone. It filled the silence and made even the frantically working stable hands feel a heavy weariness in their bones.  
“Hypnos!” Apollo high-fived the newcomer. “You know that she is. Spends all night partying with the Charities, and she can’t be bothered to do anything in the morning. Are you just getting in, man?”  
“Oh, yeah,” Hypnos answered. “Long night for Morpheus and I – not even the poets and artists wanted to stay awake tonight. Only place we didn’t have to stop by was Troy; the Greeks started their opening volleys around sunset. Take a look as you go over. You can’t miss it. There’s fire everywhere.”  
A stable hand came over, motioning with his hands. When that failed to gain the attention of the gods, he resorted to tugging on Aurora’s cloak.  
“What the…” she sputtered spinning around. “What impertinence do you think you are….oh, right.” She waved her hand and sound once again filled the stable.  
The stable hand managed to squeak out, “Your chariot is ready, my Lady.”  
She tossed her hair at him in dismal.  
“That’s my cue to leave you two,” Hypnos told them. “I’m off to bed. Don’t forget to check out Troy.”  
“We won’t,” Apollo called after him as he left. Apollo was already in his chariot, reigns in hand. “I enjoy a nice bonfire in the morning.”  
“It’s because you’re an utter barbarian.” Aurora told him as she climbed into her own chariot. Another satyr handed her the reigns.  
The sound of Apollo’s laughter followed her as she raced her chariot through the open stable gates and dropped through down into a cold starry night. There was no sign of the stables or Apollo before her. She hung in the air, chariot and horses all motionless. She spread out her hands and began intoning.  
“Στην αρχή , ο Θεός είπε , « Γενηθήτω φως », και υπήρχε φως.” The words fell from her lips like clouds.  
Behind her, the first rays of morning began to shine. Her voice deepened, her hands and arms grew more taunt and straight, and still the words continued to pour forth. The horizon began to glow brighter, and colors filled the sky. Each color complimented the ones on her chiton perfectly. Slowly the sun peeked its head over the horizon and filled the sky with quiet assurance. Birds begin to chirrup all around.  
“Good job, cuz.” Apollo had appeared in his chariot behind her. “You only forgot one line.”  
She jumped and spooked her horses. She battled to bring them back under control. Spinning on her heel, she turned to face Apollo.  
“I don’t forget lines, cousin. My recitations are always flawless.”  
“Oh, yeah? The partying is getting to you, darling. Look down.”  
She did and her jaw dropped. Everything was gently illuminated by the light of the rising sun. It would have been beautiful except….  
“Black and white?!” she shrieked. “Mother …Hera!”  
She literally started to fume as she spun back around to restart her chanting.  
Apollo’s laughter filled the monochromatic world.


End file.
